Yamuna inflow rises in Delhi

New DelhiWater flow from Hathnikund barrage to the Yamuna in Delhi has significantly increased due to heavy rainfall in hilly areas, with an inflow of around 352 cusecs at Thursday noon increasing to around 9,430 cusecs by 11pm, according to data from the barrage

New Delhi

Yamuna in Delhi over the past week. (ANI)

Water flow from Hathnikund barrage to the Yamuna in Delhi has significantly increased due to heavy rainfall in hilly areas, with an inflow of around 352 cusecs at Thursday noon increasing to around 9,430 cusecs by 11pm, according to data from the barrage.

Following this, the barrage recorded a consistent inflow between 20,000 and 30,000 cusecs, peaking with an inflow of 38,789 cusecs at 10am on Friday. To be sure, these volume of inflow is not a cause for concern, and they just indicate the return of monsoon flow in the riverbed.

An official with the Delhi flood control room said that the river was flowing at a 201.88-metre level at 8pm on Friday, which is significantly below the warning or danger level. “Flow from the barrage is between 20,000-30,000 cusecs and there is no cause for worry at this stage,” the official said.

The warning mark is set at 204.5m and the danger mark at 205.33m. The government is contemplating changing these marks to 205m and 205.75m, respectively.

Bhim Singh Rawat, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), said this is the first instance of natural flow returning to the river after a dry summer. “Yamuna riverbed has been completely dry this summer. This will help quench the river and mark a period during which Yamuna resembles a normal river. Its overexploitation in non-monsoon phase just reduces it to a sewage canal during the other seasons,” he said.

Delhi has seen large-scale water supply disruptions during the summer, with a shortfall of up to 100 million gallons a day during the peak crisis period.